Family Love

Family Love

Upon the laptops across the globe, authors take to their keyboards to peck out their stories, opening their hearts and their very souls to seek some arcane knowledge of their own existence. It is a two-way street, I believe, this writing business. Authors surely wish to entertain their readers. Authors are also writing in many ways to find themselves in their narratives. At least, this one is…

Take me, for example, I put my life under many of the microscopes of readers almost daily in search for the essence of the man behind his words. On the surface of those words I believe it easy to discover some superficial nomenclature to describe myself – a man who ate some emotional soup in childhood and has spent a lifetime in search of himself, that essence, the reality of his soul. Of course, I can immediately acknowledge in all my lucid candor that the simple ‘nomenclature’ I’ve discovered at best can only scratch the surface of who I am, what and where I’ve been. The ultimate truth lies out there in the void of the ‘dark veil’!

What I can be certain of is what I label, ‘my orbital truth’. It is a truth I’ve dodged most of my life as a wanderlust, what many would call a ‘romantic’ or a ‘lotus-eater’, a man hungry for the fruits that can be found in the nether world of women and song, in and out of love, playing the role of dismayed man sorry for himself, or the role of a poet and soothsayer – ‘hey, look at me, am I not a good and solid actor in this not-so-great B-level Movie’?

My children, two of whom I present to you above, love me for some obscure reason for I was absent for days, weeks, months, and years of their lives – sitting likely in a motel room writing about them on cheap stationery, how I missed them, how much I loved them, only to es-cape the motel room for more women and song. They are wise enough to know all of this and most of them are now closely-knit families with lovely children of their own.

My daughter, Shelley Jean (top picture), her handsome husband, Greg, are shown above, below them, my son, Scott and his lovely wife, Carla. Another son, Brandon, is a PhD in Literature, a professor living in Minnesota, unmarried at last report. There is a school teacher daughter and two engineers in the mix – Chemical and Electronic. All have wonderful children of their own… As a sad footnote: One of my sons, Steven Ray, was lost to us because of his life on the dark menacing streets of Las Vegas in drug dealing and use. If one might presume I could have made a difference in his life had I been there more, you would be presuming correctly… I carry that ignoble deed to the black void mentioned earlier.

With this righteous candor, I can say in honesty that all of the other children now have families and a good life. Shelley and Greg rejoice in their God and their blended family. Scott and Carla, having lived productive business lives, spend most their time in a Utah mountain retreat. The engineers and teacher whom I love come to me via Julie Anne, my most generous and loving wife of some thirty-five years. They are all family-oriented and have clearer truths for living than their father.

So, why have I shared all of my children, myself and wife with you, my compatriots on the writing circuit and some few reading fans? Surely, you did not need to read this, to hear it, as it were. No, of course not! It is all for me, this long missive of contrition. I’ve made you, the readers, my altar of remorse!

It seemed necessary for me to share the larger truths of my life. Somehow, with the allocation comes ablution, some semblance of playing straight without falsely presenting myself. I served honorably in the United States Navy, have a loving and cherished wife, and felt the simple need to share the beauty that now pervades my life…the children, their families, their devotion to their own families and their charitable aid to others.

In pondering my life’s rather rascally environments at times I’m reminded of how truly lucky I am to have so very much love in my life.

That’s really comforting here in ‘Twilight’, where I plan to live until age 105 and write many more novels…

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15 comments on “Family Love”

Ah, Billy Ray. However, you get to the point of recognizing a simple truth seems like a worthwhile endeavor. The truth? You are a great writer and good man, sir. Your choice of bourbon leaves a little to improve but you have hit the home run in life. Your family is beautiful and so are you.

You touched me big-time, John! You are without doubt one of the most gentle and kind men in all of Blogland – aside from being a stellar author! That is meant sincerely! In fact, I’m dedicating my next novel to you… We have 3 homicides in a small town twenty minutes from us (Bardstown, Ky. I believe the town has a Willet brewery!) – Bardstown has been recognized nationally by the phrase: “The most beautiful small town in America.” Julie Anne has gathered lots of facts on the case, and I’m going to do my fictional account…3 years have passed since a woman disappeared from the home she shared with a live-in boyfriend & father of one of her four kids (in 2015) – the woman has not been found to this day, and her husband’s brother is employed by the town’s police dept. – PLUS, a policeman in the dept. was ambushed and killed as he drove home one night after his shift (in 2013, 2 years before the woman disappeared!)- PLUS,the wife’s father was killed about 18 months after her disappearance! – Not absolutely sure the two murders and wife’s disa1ppearance are connected! As you can imagine, there are all sorts of rumors (drugs, policeman killed because he knew something, father killed because he was onto something – likely, about the wife’s live-in boyfriend and father of one of her four kids! I suspect the live-in boyfriend is the prime suspect but not backed up at this point with any evidence). Television channel ‘Oxygen’ has several episodes on the case. They simply have no dots to connect… Will keep you posted, my good and generous friend! ‘Bailey Crane’ will come out of retirement and solve this ‘puppy’!!! ♥♥♥

Somehow I never saw your latest blog posts. This is a beautiful one, Billy Ray, spoken from the heart to those of us who care and who wish to send you love and hugs and wishes for a long life ahead to enjoy your beautiful family ….and to write!